Saturday, November 16, 2013

TPPA: ACCCIM's notion of protecting national interest

Government insist on defending state rights, national policies like whatever is left of the Bumiputera affirmative action policy, and nation's sovereignty and constitution.

If the TPPA is signed, Malaysia will have to dismantle it's SOE or State owned enterprise, which goes counter to their economic model for a Temasek-like organisation to lead the local economy.

There are many other troubling issues but the Malaysian government is reluctant to withdraw from negotiation. For a world top 20 trading nation, Malaysia is dependent on trade for economic sustainability.

It is to Malaysia's interest to be part of the negotiation to form the partnership agreement. That is the way to protect the nation's interest. If Malaysia is to cop out now and then rejoin later, it will have to accept without question what other countries have agreed.

The pro-TPPA claim that it is good for trade but does TPPA really help trade?

The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) believes it does. [Read on in The Star here.]

ACCCIM legal affairs committee chairman Michael Chai felt that the issues raised against TPPA is based on speculation and rumours circulated among misinformed groups and by the Internet. It is only "fear of the unknown" and speculating repercussions.

The association of 97% DAP voting members wants to assist the Government to garner feedback from Malaysian businessmen and educate the public on the TPPA. If that is not believeable, ACCCIM believes that "national interests should take precedence over corporate interests."

How comforting to know that ACCCIM does not see TPPA as a mega hostile takeover of nations by a coalition of multi-national corporations that is hiding behind the cloak of the American government and it's millitary might but financially bankcrupt?

ACCCIM see "opening up market is good" for a trading nation like Malaysia and find no problem with the secrecy, in which Wikileak had published intellectual property chapter document three days ago [download here].

The leaked documents have yet to be thoroughly read, so no comments here but it confirmed issues raised on 5-year ban against the introduction of generic equivalents to patented medicine.

Also revealed was attempt by multinational publishers to deny individual's “right to education” by seeking copyright terms of up to 120 years for books and educational papers.

Hollywood is lobbying for local internet service providers (ISP) liable for any copyright infringement. [Read in The Malay Mail Online here and here.]

Unless JJ calls them up to pull the brakes, the comfort is our negotiation team had been commendable and steadfast in defending our interest.

However, Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed's response to the leak and demand for access to the documents is consistent. The lawmakers will get their wishes when it is ready to be signed. [Read Malay Mail Online here and here.]

At all cost?

In her press release, Auckland University Profesor Jane Kelsey commented that there is a "a massive gulf between US demands and a bloc of other countries, including New Zealand." [Read in here and the links already analysing the leak douments.]

It confirms Klang MP Charles Santiago comment that TPPA "was actually a disguised bid by US corporations to create monopolies across industries and are "not interested in free trade."

Putting aside The Edge's inclination for PKR, they have proved in their reports [read here and here] that TPPA does not open the global market to Malaysia but only open Malaysia to copyright lawsuits from American MNCs.

Professor Jane Kelsey highlighted that New York Times reported “Other members have signaled their opposition independently, meaning that roughly 40 percent to 50 percent of House members (American House of Congress) have signaled, sight unseen, that they do not support the regional trade pact.”

"Yes maam"

The irony is ACCCIM, who claim to believe that national interest should supercede corporate interest, would like to assist the American MNCs to blind Malaysian businessmen into thinking that an agreement not endorsed by a significant numbers of American congressmen is good for their business.

Their interest with the American MNCs can be apparent but why are the likes of Dato Idris Jala and PEMANDU, Dato Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, Dato Omar Ong and many others are keen for TPPA?

Another force in play is Obama's equally secret US-EU pact for TTIP. Together with TPP, it will dominate more than 60 per cent of global GDP.

The temptation is to described them as myopic but like ACCCIM, they must be driven by self-interest. Let's explore that at another posting.

In God we trust and in MNCs, the nation's future?

For now, instead of letting only lawmakers to see, express their positions in the media or Parliament, and determine the course of the nation, can we have a NATIONAL REFERENDUM on the TPPA?

This nation does not belong only to businessmen and their commercial interest, lawmakers and their politics, and businessmen disguising as lawmakers, policymakers, and politicians.

Wikeleaks has released the full secret draft of the TPPA via http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/11/14/wikileaks-released-secret-negotiated-tpp-draft-text/ The Editor claims those who sign the TPPA becomes a slave forever. The TPPA only benefits Singapore which instigated it in 2005 !

"What about the rights of ordinary Malaysians to be able to have access to the best products in the world - be it cars, drugs, services, IT products, aircraft....the list goes on?"

"These anti-TPP activists seem content to have Malaysians settle for the second-best in everything, in the name of sovereignty, consumer rights and national dignity."

The U.S. imperialists must love "consumer power" types like JankoT

OK. Let's be content with being great consumers, in fact power consumers of foreign made world class products.

Let all our small to medium industries go to the wall in the face of competition from cheaper foreign made products and services.

Let foreign multinational banks open branches everywhere and put local banks out of business.

A foreign bank has told me that it has research and development centres is certain countries which develop the various services and banking products which it deploys worldwide and can deploy management expertise from anywhere in its worldwide chain to any country.

A Malaysian bank told me that unlike a foreign multinational bank which can afford to buy and test out banking solutions in its R&D centre, it does not have the financial resources to do likewise, so is at a disadvantage.

According to the likes of JankoT, it's fine for those with lots of money to trample over those which do not in the name of "access to the best products in the world..."

Hey! If that's the case, why not just ask the British to come back and recolonise us.

If Japan, South Korea, Taiwan & China thought like JankoT, they would also have remained just rice and paper doll producing nations.

At one time people in Malaysia laughed at Japanese cars which admittedly were not as good as European cars but today???

It take time to build up to world class and until that level is reached, there needs to be some protection.

Even the U.S. protected its manufacturing industries against Britain's and Europe's until it became world class.

The TPPA opens the doors of the Malaysian market to the flood of foreign goods coming from Singapore. This Singaporean gambit is the very last hope to sustain Singapore as a viable State. Singapore has already threw away her years of wealth through the brilliant Lee Kuan Yew's 11 failed Policies for Singapore eg.1. The use of money as investment in the pursuit of its Foreign Policy. Vide. Thaksin. Shinawatra. Bangkok Riots. 2003-132. The 2 Child Policy. This is the killer. Vide. Singapore Government White Paper of Population. 20133. The loss of US$108 Billions by the dysfunctional meritocratic pyramid of yes-men with the smartest fellow on top in October 2008 on Wall Street. Vide. Channelnewsasia Lee Kuan Yew November 2008. Financial Times London. Gillian Tett April 2010.4. Humanity and Multiculturalism never practised. Vide. Channelnewasia. December 2011. The Curry Smell Tribunal.etc.5. The perfunctory Judiciary well-known the world over. Vide. Aussie, German and Malaysian drug mules etc. Dr Woffles Wu. Shaw.6. 5,000 pigs imported daily. The flower nurseries contracts. King of the Road. The sale of Kim Eng Securities to Maybank, etc. etc.7. The highest paid Cabinet Ministers of the World for a one-street town. Vide. Warren Buffet.8. A world class transportation not established. Vide. Manubani. Distiguished diplomat and scholar.9. S$2 Billions spent on Newater as a strategic reserve.10. The Singaporean Trojan Horse DAP was founded in 1966 to deliver a conquered Malaysia to save the brilliant Lee Kuan Yew's legacy. This never happened after 47 long years.11. Lee Kuan Yew assumed power in 1959. He is still there in 2013. Where are you Washington DC ?

And Singapore instigated the TPPA with Chile and New Zealand in 2005 because from 2000 her economy was in the doldrums. Thanks to globalization, free trade and human rights. Somehow after the world financial crash of 2008 and with a new US Administration, Singapore, the ant, succeeded to push the US elephant to do its biding. We Malaysians want to live. Please do not sign BN Government !

World standards? Just how long does Malaysia have to develop "world standard companies"? Are these companies to be grown organically (and how can they, given the size of the domestic market?) or will they have to grow through mergers and acquisitions (and how can they do this if they are walled off by domestic protection?)

IT.Sheiss is long on theory, but short on practicalities.

And all those worthies who oppose the TPP (and other FTAs) have their own selfish little agendas to protect.

Idealistic and altruistic? Or just mired in the swamp of self-deception?

Ok, here's a question to Sheiss - do you think that the Malaysian economy can continue to grow and prosper without the TPP and other FTAs? Show me the academic studies which prove this.